Lubbock man discovers mystery tunnel under his house

A mystery tunnel is creating quite a buzz in a north Lubbock neighborhood.

Lee Smithwick discovered it on his property this week when part of his yard collapsed.

"We were watering the yard and we came out and the whole sprinkler system and everything sank," Smithwick said.

Smithwick says he thought it was a sinkhole, but then he saw railroad ties.

He alerted fire and police departments and upon further examination, they discovered it was a hidden tunnel braced with railroad ties.

Apparently one broke, causing the collapse.

Now the question is, who built it?

Smithwick says local historians have come out to see the tunnel for themselves.

"First they thought it might be a bunker, but it's definitely a tunnel. Nobody knows who built it or why they would build it. They're thinking maybe it's associated with the railroad back in 1909, but you're looking at an underground tunnel for 100 years."

Smithwick says they've drilled a few holes in the ground, and it appears the tunnel runs underneath the road in front of his house.

He says city inspectors have also come out, and they're meeting Thursday to figure out if they need to take action.

The area has been marked off with caution tape.

We'll continue to follow this story online and on the air at KCBD NewsChannel 11.

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Just the word "snake" brings shivers to a lot of people. Many people do not want to be around them, and as soon as a snake is spotted, many try to kill it. It is important to understand snakes because they play an important role in the balance of nature.